1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective face mask specifically intended to protect a person""s face from harmful effects of the sun, particularly ultraviolet rays, and having other protective uses, as well.
2. Prior Art
Various masks and hoods have been proposed heretofore for a variety of protective purposes, as shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Miller 5,220, 689 and Maletich 5,815,849xe2x80x94for shielding a person""s face from solar radiation; Martin 3,789,428xe2x80x94for protecting the head from wind chill; Brown 2,568,316xe2x80x94for swimming; Beard 4,937,880xe2x80x94for shielding the face from liquid splashes and solid particles in the air; Pinson 4,411,023 and Lopez 4,637,383xe2x80x94for protecting the head from fire and toxic gases; Drews et al 5,625,902xe2x80x94to support an oxygen breathing apparatus and shield the head from gases; and Kurimoto et al 5,623,733xe2x80x94to retain skin moisture for facial beauty.
The present invention is a protective face mask with a shield providing full face coverage and a novel arrangement for securely positioning the mask on a person""s head with comfortable separation of the shield from the person""s face. Preferably, the shield has a concavo-convex shape and is made of a transparent hard plastic that protects the face from the sun""s ultraviolet radiation. The entire mask is a UV lens and/or other plastic for fashion purposes or for protection against such things as flying debris. The mask has a nose bridge projecting from the concave face of the shield and positioned to engage the wearer""s nose to space the shield from the face for free flow of air for breathing and reduction of heat. Temple sidepieces hinged to the shield at opposite sides are engageable over the wearer""s ears. In conjunction with each other, the nose bridge and the temple sidepieces position the face mask securely on the person""s head with the desired clearance of the shield from the face.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved face mask for protection from harmful effects of the sun.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof, shown in the accompanying drawings.